Child rights panel summons Maharashtra officials

The national child rights panel Monday summoned Maharashtra government officials for failing to respond to queries on issues related to children's deaths due to suspected malnourishment.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) told the officials to appear before it Oct 3.

The officials were earlier questioned on issues of child health and nutrition which the panel officials observed during a visit to the Melghat region, about 500 km from Mumbai, last year, an official release here said.

Melghat comprises of Dharani and Chikhaldhara tehsils of Amravati district and has been witnessing 460 annual child deaths in the last five years due to malnourishment.

Despite numerous reminders and after almost a year of the panel officials' visit, the commission has not received a report from the Amravati Zilla Parishad on children found to be severely malnourished, it said.

The NCPCR had also sought an inquiry into the death of a child.

The commission noted that the nutrition rehabilitation centre at Melghat had failed to show significant impact and sought an inquiry and corrective action.